Running home to you
by Lily Jolie
Summary: The last year has been a weird one for Clary. Her mom is dead, Luke dropped out the surface of earth, her best friend is also dead and she remember next to nothing about all of that. On the opening night of her school's art exhibit the weirdness of the last year come to a head, leaving Clary running torward her past.


Author's note : Hi guys! So this is my first story in english and it's not beta'd so all mistakes are mine. I just hope it's not to bad ;) Also, i don't own anything.

* * *

**Running home to you**

The last year has been a weird one for Clary. The circumstances around her mom's death were nebulous at best and Luke had literally dropped out the surface of the earth. Adding to that the fact that apparently her best friend had been dead for a year and she didn't even remember what happened and that her memories of him where hazy, was enough to give her headache most of the time. But despite all of that weirdness in her life, everything else was settling into place.

She was wrapping up her first year at the Brooklyn Art Academy and she was just hanging the paintings she had done for tonight's exhibit. She couldn't help being proud of her art even if those paintings were coming straight from that nebulous weirdness that was her mind nowadays. She was deep in her thoughts looking at swirls of colors, when the voice of her teacher made her jump.

\- I don't know where you take your inspiration, Fray, but it's beautiful. Said her teacher while looking at the paintings.  
\- It simply comes from within Mrs. Jones. Replied Clary with a smile. It's like something is pushing to come out but I can't see it clearly yet, so for now it's this.  
\- Well whatever is coming out from you, Mrs Jones said with a laugh, I can't wait to see what it will be like!  
\- You and I both! Laughed Clary.  
\- Good luck for tonight, Fray! Wished Mrs. Jones before walking away.

Clary watched Mrs. Jones walking away with a weird feeling. Her teachers had called her 'Fray' without any problem the whole year, so why was she weirded out by it now? Why was she feeling like it was somebody else's privilege to call her like that? After thinking about it a minute, Clary shook her head and went back to getting ready for the night, weird feelings now gone. 

* * *

The evening was a smash. The room was full of people enjoying themselves and the art surrounding them. Clary had, so far, sold three of her paintings and received several compliments from critics and art lovers alike. She was in the middle of a conversation with an older couple when she saw out of the corner of her eye a dark, intricate marking on her right wrist. Frowning, she looked down but the mark was gone. She excused herself weakly and raced for the bathroom.

Once she was sure she was alone in the bathroom, she leaned heavily on the countertop, shaken. It wasn't the first time she imagined seeing that kind of symbol lately but she always put it to her stress for the upcoming exhibit. Now that the evening was well underway, said stress was long gone yet she still was seeing things that wasn't there and that was scaring her. While the symbols she was seeing from time to time weren't always the same, tonight's black mark was the one that showed up the most. Tonight's mark was the one she called "the horned diamond''.

Looking vaguely at her mark-free wrist, Clary tried to remember where she could have seen those marks before because she knew that she had seen them somewhere. She just didn't remember where and the answer felt so very important at that moment.

The image of a young man she had walked by the last time she visit her friends in Manhattan popped up in her mind. Back then she didn't thought much about him beside that he was hot, but now he seemed more important. Tall with dark hair and familiar green eyes, the guy was wearing dark jeans, a black t-shirt and a dark blue jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. On his left forearm there was her "horned diamond'', the black color of it standing strikingly on his pale skin.

Clary gasped at the memory. Not only she DID had seen that symbol somewhere before, but the young man felt so familiar that, at that moment, she missed him so much that it was painful. But no matter how hard she was trying to remember, she couldn't find where she'd met him or what his name was and that was driving her crazy.

A knock on the door followed by Mrs. Jones voice took her back to the present suddenly.

\- Fray you okay in there? Asked the woman while entering the room.  
\- I'm not so sure actually… Answered Clary, still confused by the whole mess in her head. I must have eaten something bad, I don't know, but I feel like I might throw up.  
\- Yeah you look a little green there…Said Mrs. Jones, understanding. You should go home, Clary, the evening is winding down anyway.  
\- You are sure it's okay? Asked Clary, not wanting to damage her final grades.  
\- Yes, of course! Said Mrs. Jones, opening the door for Clary to come through.  
\- Thanks ma'am. Simply answered Clary with a tired smile, leaving the room.

With a brisk pace, Clary went back to her spot in the gallery, took her jacket and purse and finally set toward the exit. Her thoughts were swirling angrily in her head and she needed to be out of there fast. As concentrated on her thoughts as she was, she didn't saw the blond man in front of her resulting in her bumping her shoulder in his chest. She raised her head to look at him, an apology on her lips, but the startled look on his face made her pause. The man was looking at her like he wasn't expecting her to actually see him and the fact that she did surprise him. She got lost in the man's blue eyes for a minute before shaking her head and bolting out of there without a word.

Once outside the building the gallery was in, Clary started to run like the devil was behind her. Bumping into the blond man felt like such an intense "déjà-vu'' that she had to run far from him. Like with the dark-haired young man of her memory, the blond man's eyes felt so familiar to her and yet she couldn't recall were she would have met him before. Blue eyes with a splash of brown in the left one are hard to forget so how the hell could she not find them in her memories? 

* * *

Clary ran for what seemed to be hours and her feet were hurting because of her high heels. And thinking about running with heels in her feet brought yet another forgotten memory up. The image of a gorgeous dark haired and dark eyed woman popped up in her head. The red lips of the woman stretching in a brilliant smile while saying that she was never going anywhere without her 8 inched heeled boots.

The memory made Clary stop to try and catch her breath. Looking around her, she realised that somehow she had run all the way from the gallery in Brooklyn to the middle of Battery Park in Manhattan. She literally had run a 50 minutes' walk in 30 minutes using a speed and stamina she didn't even knew she had. Fear and incomprehension were gripping her heart solidly. The more time passed, the more the events of that night were making her question her sanity and she was terrified that she was somehow losing her mind.

Suddenly, while she was close to have a panic attack, her skin started to burn in many spots on her upper body. Looking down on herself, Clary saw a dozen of those black marks she kept seeing appear on her skin. The marks glowed gold for a few moments before turning black. Frantically rubbing the marks, Clary tried to erase them but they were burned into her skin.

Lifting her head to look around to see if there was anybody to ask help to, her eyes landed on a magnificent old gothic Cathedral standing where she knew was supposed to be an old derelict church. Unexpectedly the fear and the panic gripping her heart completely disappeared at the sight in front of her. Her breathing calmed down and her wildly beating heart took a more normal pace, leaving only a warm feeling of being home after a year away. A ruffling of feathers dragged her out of the confusion her sudden change of feeling had left her in. Turning her head toward the sound, Clary founded herself facing a man wearing all white clothing with wings on his back.

\- Hello, child. Said the man. My name is Michael.  
\- What is going on with me? Asked Clary, panicking again. What are you?  
\- I am an Archangel, child. Answered Michael. I am not here to cause you harm, you can calm yourself.  
\- Then why are you here and what is going on! Asked Clary again, on the edge of losing it. Am I going insane?  
\- No you are not losing your sanity, child. Said Michael. You simply are given back what was wrongly taken away from you. Me and my brothers and sisters endeavored to right the wrongs done to you as soon as we could. My brother Raziel is a jealous and resentful being. He doesn't like being bested by creatures he judged lower than him and you, Clarissa Fairchild, did just that.  
\- But I don't understand! Said Clary, frantic. I don't know what you are talking about! Clary added, close to tears.

\- I know that noting I am saying is making sense to you now. Said Michael soothingly. The runes had to come back first but your memories will all follow very soon, you will see. You have proven yourself time and time again ever since you entered the Shadow World. You have shown to be selfless, caring, compassionate, strong and feisty and you always tried to do the right thing, to save everybody regardless of their species, regardless of them being good or bad and regardless of the consequences for you. Those are all qualities that should have been celebrated, not punished. I am terribly sorry we could not help you sooner, my child. Now it is time for your memories to be clear again. Said Michael, guiding Clary to a bench.

Now calmer and enthralled by the celestial being in front of her, Clary followed Michael to the bench without a word. The Archangel had her lie down, her head on his lap and his hand in her hair slowly guiding her to unconsciousness. The Archangel stood guard over her, keeping her safe and unseen from the outside world while she was in her head chasing her forgotten memories.

To Clary, everything started to make sense the second she had closed her eyes. Shadowhunters, vampires, werewolves, seelies, warlocks, demons and angels. Simon Lewis, Luke Greymark, Isabelle Lighwood, Alexander Lightwood, Magnus Bane, Jace Harondale, Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern. Her family and her demonic brother. The rune that bonded her to Jonathan, the constant fight to separate them then to stop him. Magnus exiling himself to Edom to save Alicante and their subsequent trip there to bring him home to his fiancé. Raziel's warning delivered by her mom, and her choice to ignore it in favor to stopping Jonathan, sacrificing everything to save the people she loved. The slow erasing of her runes, the Sight slowly going away with her memories. The following year full of missing things and weird feelings, of seeing things and people she shouldn't be able to, of yearning and longing without sense. Everything suddenly made sense. 

* * *

When Clary reopened her eyes, the sun was slowly rising up and Michael was nowhere to be seen but she still could feel his presence. She knew now everything would be alright. She could, and would, go home without the fear of Raziel taking her runes and memories ever again. She knew Michael would watch over her and her family, making sure they would live their life in peace. Well in as much peace a shadowhunter can live in of course.

With a smile on her face, Clary stood up from the bench she was laying on and start to make her way to the Institute's front doors. Taking her time walking in the morning sun, she was marveling at the runes etched in her skin happy they were back. Now that her mind was no longer a nebulous hazy thing, Clary couldn't help but smile and sigh contentedly. She was finally on her way home, on her way to her family. The loneliness, the emptiness, the weirdness and the longing that had filled the last year was now in the past and she was finally feeling fully herself again. She felt like the huge weight she had been carrying on her shoulders the whole year was now gone.

Once she was in front of the doors Clary took a deep breath, opened the doors and walked in the hall. Since it was still early in the morning, nobody was around the hall and the control center. Taking a few steps in the room, Clary couldn't help herself and let a happy giggle out. She was home!

Leaning against the door frame, Clary looked around thinking about her next move. Since no one was in the control room currently, she would have to go hunting for her friends. She just couldn't choose who to go after first; she was too excited to see them all. As if to answer her prayers Jace, Isabelle, Simon, Magnus, Alec and Luke suddenly walked in the room seemingly arguing.

\- I'm telling you something was wrong with her last night! Said Jace, worrying about Clary's exit the previous night.  
\- She can't have seen you, Jace. Aswered Alec, starting to get irritated with Jace stubbornness. You know as well as we do that she doesn't have the Sight anymore.  
\- But she did! Said Jace, also getting irritated with his parabatai. And yes, I know she can't but she did anyway! She looked at me strait in the eye, Alec! And she was terrified!  
\- What could have upset her? Asked Simon, always the first to worry about Clary even if they couldn't do anything.  
\- I don't know! Huffed Jace, both hands on his face. She was smiling and having fun and talking to people when she suddenly made a run for the bathroom, visibly upset.  
\- What did she do when she came out? Asked Isabelle, trying to calm everyone around the table.  
\- She picked up her stuff and ran straight into me, Izzy! Said Jace, crossing his arms on his chest. She looked up ready to apologize but she froze for a minute then ran out the building so fast even I couldn't catch up with her!  
\- That's weird. Commented Magnus. She would need the help of the speed rune to achieve that.  
\- Whatever happened, said Luke before another of Jace's rant, there is nothing we can do without risking angering the angels more than they already are.

Clary looked at them arguing about her for a few minutes, laughing to herself about the fact that the best shadowhunters that there was, were so wrapped up in their argument that no one had noticed the girl against the door frame. She soak up the scene in front of her, she had missed them so much even if she didn't knew back then what she was missing. It was so good to see them in front of her, to hear their voices and to actually know who they were. When she noticed that Jace seemed to be close to tears with worry and guilt, she decided that it was time to make herself known.

\- Jace…Tried Magnus, soothingly. Believe me, we are all as worry as you are about Biscuit, but we can't do a thing without risking her lift further. I'm sorry.  
\- Well apparently you are wrong Magnus! Said Clary with a soft smile on her face. And Jace is right, something happened last night.

Six heads swiveled in her direction, shock painted on each faces. They all stayed there, frozen to the spot by shock. None of them could believe what they were seeing. She couldn't be really there, could she? With a big smile on her face, Clary moved from her spot in the entryway toward them, her movements enough to send Simon in motion. Running full speed to his best friend, Simon stops a few centimeters from her and raised his hand shakily to her cheek. Once his hand on her skin, Clary smile softly to him and put her own hand on top of his, confirming to him that she was really there. Simon then hugged her for several minutes before finally backing up enough to talk to her.

\- Hey Fray. Said Simon, voice shaking and tears on his cheeks. Is it really you?  
\- Nah I'm Lillith in disguise! Answered Clary with a playful roll of eyes. Of course it's me Simon!  
\- Haha really funny. Said Simon, deadpanned. But ho…He started before being interrupted by Jace who grabbed Clary.  
\- Clary…Whispered Jace, touching her face like he couldn't believe his eyes.  
\- Hey Jace. Clary said, smiling softly to him. Yes it's me, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere ever again.  
\- God I have missed you so much. He said before crushing her to him, wishing to never let go.

Crushed against him, her arms around his waist and her face in his neck, Clary sighed happily. She finally felt at peace and she knew she was exactly where she was meant to be. Slowly she could feel his body relaxing into hers, accepting the fact that she was really there with him again. After a few minutes of bliss, Isabelle blew their bubble claiming she wanted hugs too. Hugs and kisses were soon coming from everywhere and Clary couldn't help but giggle happily to her family's love, enthusiasm and happiness. Once they were all satisfied she was real and there with them, they all moved back around the table Jace keeping her hand in his not ready to let go just yet.

\- I am happy to have you back Clary, I truly am, but how the hell did you do it? Ask Alec, dumbfounded by the impossibility of it all.  
\- I did nothing. Said Clary, laughing. I truly didn't had the Sight anymore and no memory of the Shadow World.  
\- Then what happened? Question Luke, as lost as the others. Why were you upset last night?

\- It started a few weeks back. Sighed Clary. Out the corner of my eye I would catch a rune on my skin but it would be gone the moment I would truly look at it. I actually saw Alec in Manhattan 3 weeks ago on the street, Meliorne and another Seelie too even though I know now I shouldn't have seen them. But it really came to a head last night. First my teacher called me 'Fray' and it weirded me out. They had called me that all year without problem, but last night it felt like they shouldn't, like it was someone else's privilege to do so.

\- Me! Claimed Simon, exited. You remembered me first! He added, proud.  
\- It was just a feeling really, but yeah you were first Simon! Laughed Clary. Then the Angelic rune showed up on my arm while I was talking with a couple. By the time I made it to the bathroom, the rune was gone again. I was trying to remember where the hell I could have seen those before and I remembered walking by Alec and seeing his rune.  
\- I remember that day. Said Alec sadly. I had to force myself to go forward and not to stop and grab you. I was so sick of everyone sadness and Jace's moping and I…I missed you but I knew that it would be causing you trouble so I walked on. Never realised that you actually had seen me. He admitted.  
\- Well at that time I didn't really thought anything about it. Said Clary, smiling to Alec. Didn't realise I wasn't supposed to see you either. She laughed.  
\- Then you got out after your teacher came to get you. Prompted Jace, eager to hear what happened next.  
\- Yeah since I was visibly not feeling well she sent me home. Continued Clary. My head was swirling with thoughts and half forgotten, half remembered memories and I wasn't watching where I was going when I ran straight into Jace. I completely froze when I looked at him in the eye. The feeling of 'Déjà-vu' was so intense I had to run and I did.  
\- You ran so fast I couldn't even catch up with you! Said Jace, still marveling at her presence beside him. How did you do that?

\- Don't know! She laughed. All I knew was I had to get the hell out of dodge and I pushed myself as fast as I could. End up running all the way here without a stop.  
\- You ran all the way from Brooklyn to Battery Park without a break? Asked Izzy, impress.  
\- Yep and when I stop all I could think of was my feet hurting because of my heels and that made me thought of you, Izzy. Answered Clary with a side hug to the girl beside her.  
\- Of course running with heels can only make you think of our badass Head of the Institute that never goes anywhere without heels! Laughed Simon, teasing his girlfriend.  
\- Head of the Institute? Asked Clary, clearly proud of her friend. But what about Alec?  
\- I'm the Inquisitor now. He answered proudly. Me and Magnus are living in Alicante now. We came here this morning because Izzy said Jace wouldn't shut up or calm down.  
\- Wow Alec, Izzy I'm so happy for you guys! Said Clary, proud of her friends. I guess I missed a couple of thing the past year. She added sadly.  
\- Don't worry about it Biscuit! Said Magnus with a big smile. You are here now and we will catch up with each other quickly. But for now, we still don't know how you did it!

\- Right, so when I stopped running I looked around while catching my breath and I saw the Institute standing right in front of me. She continued, smiling at the warlock. I was on the edge of a panic attack, I was thinking I was going mad or something, but when I saw the Institute I calmed instantly. My heart stopped beating madly and my breathing calm down and I felt like I was finally back home after a long time away. Which was true but at that point I still didn't remember a thing and was confused as hell.  
\- You sure know how to keep suspense in your storytelling Kiddo. Laughed Luke, as eager as the other for the juicy part of the story.  
\- Well if you would stop interrupting me maybe I could get to the end! She answered with a playful eye roll. So I was standing there looking at the Institute confused to no end when I heard wings flapping behind me. I turned and end up face to face with the freaking Archangel Michael.  
\- WHAT? Asked six shocked voice.  
-Yep, Michael! Confirmed Clary with a giggle. He said that I should have been celebrate for what we did and not punished but apparently Raziel is as temperamental as toddler throwing a tantrum and he didn't like being bested by someone lower than him.  
\- So Raziel taking your runes and your memories was him throwing a tantrum?! Said Isabelle, stunted.  
\- Yep exactly. Confirmed Clary, shaking her head. Michael and the other Angels did their best to undo what Raziel did but it took them time and for a reason I had to go half crazy for it, but hey I'm definitely not complaining! Anyway, Michael put me to sleep on a bench in the park and all of my memories of you guys, of the Shadow World and everything that happened came back. I woke up with the sun alone in the park but I know everything is going to be fine now. Michael won't let Raziel put another stunt on me or any of us.

\- Wow…said Jace, awed by it all. Just wow. A freaking Archangel came to you! I guess he and the others heard our prayers in the end. He mused.  
\- So all of this to say that I am back home and not going anywhere anytime soon! Concluded Clary cheerfully. And by the way, you guys need to sharpen your senses; I spend like 10 minutes watching you argue while leaning against the door frame before I spoke! She added laughing and teasing.  
\- No way! Said Alec categorical. We definitely would have sense you.  
\- Yes way! She said with a cheeky grin. 10 minutes guys! But then again I'm putting it up to the fact that I don't register as a threat to you so you didn't picked up on my presence consciously because you already knew that I was okay.  
\- Makes sense. Hummed Alec, thoughtfully. Anyway I want to be the first to say this. Welcome home, Clary Fairchild. He added with a big smile.  
\- Welcome home Clary! The 5 others joyfully added together.

Clary couldn't answer to them, suddenly overwhelmed by their love for her, their joy and their actual presence beside her so she just threw herself to them and hugged them all one after the other. She thought she knew what happiness was but she was sorely mistaken because what she felt at that moment was more powerful that everything she ever felt before. She was on cloud nine, she was ecstatic, she was _home_.


End file.
